The Run For The Roses
by SensationalShay
Summary: Red takes Lizzie to the 2014 Kentucky Derby!


A/N: Since I have never been to the Kentucky Derby (it's on the Bucket List) everything in this story was done by internet research and my personal experiences at the horse races I have attended here in The Lone Star State over the years :)

A HUGE thank you to my BETA, Xyber116, for all her help, work and support! I appreciate it very much :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

First Saturday in May. Raymond Reddington's private jet. 10:06 AM -

"We are right on time, Mr. Reddington. ETA 56 minutes," Lizzie heard overhead.

Upon arriving home yesterday evening, Lizzie walked in to find Red sitting on her living room couch, gently running his fingers through Hudson's long hair with his head resting on Red's right leg and Dembe standing guard just outside her front door. Walking closer to the pair, Lizzie noticed a black dress bag and a rather large black hat box on her square coffee table.

Apparently, Red had "swung by" to inform her to be ready at exactly 9 AM. When she questioned him as to why she had to be up and ready so early on her day off, he told her he was taking her on a little day trip to "expand your horizons". He made it clear she was to wear the dress and the hat he had custom made for her.

"Can you at least tell me where we are going?" she had asked as he began to walk to the front door.

All he said was, "Louisville, Kentucky!"

After he left, Lizzie tried her best to get angry. She really did but if she had learned one thing over the past several months it was there would be no point in getting angry.

And so here she was. Sitting in one of the leather seats on Red's private jet, dressed in what she had to admit was a beautiful canary yellow and black pattern sleeveless dress, stroking the feathers on her large black hat that was sitting in her lap.

Raising her head, she locked eyes with the man himself, holding his customary glass of scotch. She knew he had been staring at her the whole time. She could feel his gaze on her since they had boarded the plane over twenty minutes ago.

"So, now that we are in the air, can I be let in on the big surprise?" Lizzie asked with a sigh.

Red grinned at her as he took another sip of his drink.

"Isn't it a little early to drink?" Lizzie asked with a slight frown. The woman whom Red employed to be his personal flight attendant had offered her everything from a Mimosa, to a Bloody Mary, to something called a Morning Glory Fizz when they first boarded the plane.

When Lizzie politely refused all her suggestions, the woman then offered to make her a cup of her favorite hot tea. One bag of Green Tea, one bag of Lemon Zinger, a tablespoon of honey and a small drop of pear juice. Lizzie knew she should have been surprised that a woman whom she had never met before, knew her favorite kinds of tea and how to make it but she couldn't bring herself to. Red, Lizzie growled in her head. She had agreed with a smile and the woman had walked away. Since then she had been sipping her favorite morning beverage while Red had already nearly kicked back three fingers of scotch.

"It's never too early for good scotch, Lizzie," Red said smiling across from her.

"Right," Lizzie said muttered. "So back to my original question. Where are you taking me?"

"I told you. Louisville Kentucky."

"And what's IN Louisville, Kentucky?"

Red smiled at her and he sat his glass down, "I'm taking you to the Kentucky Derby Lizzie."

Lizzie's eyebrows raised as she took in what he said. "Why on Earth are we going to the horse races? Are we meeting a contact for a Blacklister?"

"No. No contacts. No Blacklisters," Red said. "I usually try and go every year. I wasn't able to make it last year unfortunately."

"Why did you think I would want to go?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, you took horse riding lessons as a child, correct?" Red asked patiently.

"Well yes. But that really was Sam's idea. He thought I needed to take part in more outdoor activities," Lizzie said. She thought back to the year she was 10 years old. Sam had told her one day when she got home from school that he had enrolled her in horse riding lessons. He thought it would be a "good experience" for her. To be outdoors with the animals. She hadn't been crazy about the idea but went along with it for her father's sake. She remembered riding on her horse, Bluebonnet, and looking over by the gate to see her father smiling and taking pictures of her. She was happy her father was happy.

"And he was right to do so," Red stated. "Everyone should know how to ride. Being on a horse feels like freedom! Feeling the wind hit against your face, the smell of the grass, and nature around you. It's a wonderful feeling!"

Lizzie couldn't stop herself from smiling at Red's description, so much like her father and her trainers. All she could really remember was the soreness in her legs, her butt going completely numb, the blisters on her hands from holding the reins, and the unmistakable smell of horse.

"Okay, I'm game. We will be home tonight though, right?"

"Oh yes. No later than midnight," Red said. He was happy she had agreed so easily.

"Fine," Lizzie said as she picked up her tea cup.

"Great! Now, how much do you know about the history of the Kentucky Derby?" Red asked.

"Not much. Nothing at all really," Lizzie admitted.

"Well, it takes place on the first Saturday of May every year at Churchill Downs. Only thoroughbred horses that are three years of age may qualify. They call it "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports." and "The Run For The Roses," Red said. "The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the US Triple Crown tour. After today, there will be the Preakness Stakes at the end of May and then finally the Belmont Stakes in June. The horse must win all three to be awarded the Triple Crown."

"Interesting," Lizzie said, listening to Red speak. "How many people will be there?"

"Churchill Downs will hold a 120,000 people and they haven't ever not sold out," Red said.

"Now the Kentucky Derby started in 1872 by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr who was the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition," Red stated. "He had gone to England and attended their Epson Derby. He loved the idea and the sport so much he came home to Kentucky to organize his own race. In the beginning, when he was trying to raise money for it, he met John and Henry Churchill. They provided the land and helped finance a good portion of the building of the track. The first race had over 10,000 people attended which was unheard of in those days."

Lizzie leaned back in her seat while she listened to Red talk. She had to admit he was a fantastic story teller.

"Several traditions that began back then are still in effect today. For example, the official drink of the Derby is the Mint Julep. It's an ice drink consisting of bourbon, mint and sugar syrup that began in 1939," Red said. "It's just delicious! You must have one today."

Lizzie smiled slightly and nodded.

"Now while not a "tradition" per se, Burgoo is a very popular dish. It's a stew made with beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables. I don't really care for it but Dembe can knock back quite a bit of it," Red said with a grin as he glanced at the man sitting a few rows behind Lizzie.

"Why do they call it "The Run For The Roses?" Lizzie asked.

"Ah well, that's from the lush blanket of 564 red roses that the winning horse is draped in at the end of the race in the winners circle. That came about from New York socialite E. Berry Wall. Starting in 1883, he would give all the women a single red rose at the post-derby party. Legend has it that that's when Col. Lewis Clark decided to make the red rose the official flower and red the color of the Derby. They started giving the winning horse the rose blanket not long after that," Red said.

"And the hat?" Lizzie asked pointing to the large hat in her lap.

"Hats are another long time tradition. Umbrellas were not and still aren't allowed at the derby so women would wear large hats to shield themselves from the rain. It's also suppose to bring you good luck when you are placing your bet on a horse," Red said. "Now it's just as much a fashion statement as a tradiction."

Lizzie nodded.

"Mr. Reddington, we will be landing in about two minutes. Weather is currently 63 degrees fahrenheit but should reach 66 by midday. There is a scattering of light showers but nothing to affect the days events I believe," Lizzie heard the pilot say overhead.

"Buckle up, Lizzie," Red said as the flight attendant walked up to gather up their glasses. As she walked away, Lizzie looked out her window and could just make out a dark silver Mercedes parked on the runway waiting for them.

* * *

"How far is the drive?" Lizzie asked as she bucked her seatbelt in the backseat of the waiting car. Dembe was in his usual spot behind the wheel.

"Normally it takes just under ten minutes to get to Churchill Downs from Louisville International Airport but it will take longer because of the Derby traffic," Red said next to her.

"What time is the first race?" Lizzie asked looking out her window.

"The first race has already started. The race we came to see starts at 5:25 this afternoon," Red said.

Lizzie whipped her head around and asked, "The race we want to see? Don't we want to see them all?"

"Well, we can if you want. The main Derby race is the one everyone comes for. All the ones before that are like filler races. Kind of like boxing. You pay for the main event but have to sit through all the undercard fights," Red said.

"Oh," Lizzie said. "How many races are there?"

"The Derby is the 11th race. The first three races are for maidens and four and five are high priced allowance/optional claiming races. Races six through ten are all graded stakes races, including three Grade I races. There are two allowance races following the Derby also," Red said.

"Oh," Lizzie said, not really understanding what any of that meant.

"There is a Welcome Luncheon at noon. I don't know about you but I'm starved. That will last around three hours," Red said looking at her.

"Why three hours?" Lizzie asked.

"After lunch they have a sort of auction to raise money for the charity of the year. I think this year is to help raise money for food banks across the state," Red said. "After that we can stay to watch the rest of the races or walk around a bit. Whatever you like."

Lizzie smiled. She had to admit, she was excited!

* * *

"Raymond if you don't want to the check the car with the valet then I need to drop you off here. The line for the parking lot is massive," Dembe said from up front.

"Yes, here is fine," Red said.

"Why not check the car with the valet?" Lizzie asked.

"Why Lizzie have you forgotten?" Red said with a grin. "I'm a wanted criminal. You never know when we will have to make a quick getaway! We can't be waiting on the valet to fetch our car!"

Lizzie rolled her eyes at his attempt to be funny but knew it really wasn't a joke.

"Dembe you know where to meet us." Red said unbuckling his seat belt. "Come Lizzie!"

By the time Lizzie unbuckled her seatbelt Red was approaching her side of the car. After he opened the door he held out his right hand to help her out of the backseat.

Grasping his hand, Lizzie slid out as lady like as she could while holding her handbag and her hat.

"Put your hat on Lizzie. You will attracted us way more attention with it off then you will with it on," Red said taking hold of her purse and shutting the door.

Lizzie brushed her hair away from her face and put the large hat onto her head.

"How do I look?" she asked.

Red turned from watching Dembe slowly pull away and looked at her. He immediately smiled.

"Beautiful! Like a true Southern Belle!" he said as he extended his arm to her.

Lizzie smiled as she slipped her arm through his. They began walking the across the parking lot, following the large number of guests heading in the same direction.

LIzzie couldn't take her eyes off some of the women! Red was right, she would have looked out of place without a hat on her head. When she first saw her hat that morning, she was slightly put off by how it looked but now she was happy with it.

It became very clear that the bigger, the brighter, and the more the flashy the hat, the better! She noticed the men were dressed very much the same as Red. She looked at the man walking next to her. Red was dressed in a light beige three piece suit with a canary yellow tie to match her dress and as always a matching beige fedora hat sat on his head. She also noticed Red had slipped on his sunglasses since they left the car.

After going through the metal detectors they finally made their way inside Churchill Downs.

"The elevators are this way Lizzie," Red said.

"I thought we were going to lunch?" Lizzie said walking next to him.

"We are. Our seats are where we will have lunch and watch the races. Everything is in one room," Red said coming to a stop in front of a large set of private elevators.

"We're not sitting in the stands?" Lizzie asked pointing in the direction of the racetrack.

Red laughed out loud and said, "Oh dear God no! I have a table reserved upstairs."

"A reserved table?" Lizzie said raising her eyebrow.

"Yes. It's in the box seats area. They call it "Millionaire's Row," Red said with a grin. "It's where all the rich, famous, and well connected sit."

"Your kind of people," Lizzie said sarcastically.

"Exactly," Red replied with a grin.

The elevator doors chimed open and they stepped inside. Lizzie noticed a small group of people walking quickly to make the elevators but Red pushed the button to close the doors before they could make it.

"That was rude," Lizzie said as the elevators made their descent up.

"Yes it was," Red said, grinning.

Lizzie rolled her eyes but said nothing else.

Before long the doors opened to a massive room that was filled with large round tables covered in bright red tablecloths and large flower arrangements of red and white roses that sat in the center of the tables.

"Mr. Reddington! Welcome to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby! I'm Rebecca," said a young blonde haired woman dressed in a lovely pink dress and wide white hat. "Your table is ready like you requested. Please come with me."

As they both followed behind the woman, Lizzie took notice of several celebrities, athletes, and a couple politicians that had already arrived and taken their seats.

"Is that Jack Nicholson over there?" Lizzie whispered into Red's ear, pointing to the man in question.

Red laughed and said, "Yes. Jack never misses a race."

"And here you are! If you need any assistance Mr. Reddington, just wave me down," Rebecca said with a smile.

"Thank you very much!" Red replied with a wide smile. "A friend of mine will be joining us as well. His name is Dembe. Tall, no hair, African American."

"Yes, Sir. I will keep an eye out," she said before walking away.

While they were speaking, Lizzie took in her surroundings. Each place setting at the tables had white plates on top of burlap chargers with oversize prize ribbons on each plate and tied to the backs of each chair. The whole room was decorated very cleverly to match the day.

Above her were several large TV screens that were currently showing the race statistics and across the room from their table were several long tables filled with food. Other amenities Lizzie noticed around the space included conveniently located mutuel tellers, what looked to be self-service wagering machines, and cash bars.

"Lizzie."

Lizzie whipped her head around to see Red next to her.

"Do you want to look outside?" Red asked.

Nodding her head yes, Red took her hand once again and turned to slide open the large glass door that was next to their table.

"Wow!" Lizzie said as she looked around. There were at the very top of Churchill Downs and could see everything. The stands, the track, everything! The view was incredible!

"See why they call this the best seats in the house?" Red said behind her. She felt him wrap his arm around her waist.

"This is amazing!" Lizzie said.

"See that's the Clubhouse area and the Grandstands are all down there. The Jockey Club suites are all over there and there's the finish line," Red said as he pointed out all the area. "And see across from us? The large barn area? That's where they keep the horses."

Lizzie nodded as she could see several trainers inside with their horses.

"This is why I like a table by the window. When the race starts we can just get up, slide open the doors, and stand out here on the balcony. Perfect view of the race," Red said in her ear.

Before she could respond she heard from behind them, "Raymond?"

Turning she saw Dembe had finally joined them.

"Did you have any trouble?" Red asked removing his arm from around her.

"No, Sir. Just took awhile to get through. More people are arriving," Dembe said as he looked around. He seemed nervous to Lizzie.

"Is he alright?" Lizzie whispered to Red as they stepped back inside the room.

Red chuckled and said, "Dembe gets a little uneasy when I insist we go to large public events. He swears it's a place like this that someone will try to take me out."

Lizzie frowned but said nothing. She had to admit Dembe did have a point. It would be very simple for one of Red's many enemies to wait for him to stand out on the balcony and shoot. Lizzie shook her head to get rid of the horrible thought.

"Lizzie?"

Lizzie looked to see Red had pulled out her chair.

"Thank you," she said taking her seat. Red immediately sat to her right with Dembe next to him.

"The lunch should be starting very soon," Red said. "It's buffet style. They will go table by table."

Before Lizzie could respond, a man whom she guessed to be the MC of the luncheon stood in front of the room dressed like a jockey and holding a microphone.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen! If you would please take your seats, we will begin!" the man said.

* * *

"So did you enjoy your lunch?" Red asked after their waitress took away the dishes.

"Yes it was delicious!" Lizzie said. Since Red had said it was the traditional food of the Derby, Lizzie decided to try the Burgoo stew for lunch. She didn't understand how Red couldn't like it. It was one of the best things she had ever tasted!

Dembe also got the stew and Red had gone with the Bourbon glazed short ribs with horseradish and caramelized vegetables. For dessert she picked the banana pudding, Dembe chose a slice of the Southern pecan pie, while Red munched on Candied rose petals. Yuck!

The auction went rather well too. Red had won a lovely canvas painting by a man out of Dallas named Augustine Spencer. Lizzie had never heard of him but Red insisted he was going to be huge someday. The painting showed a large sailboat with full sails floating in the middle of the ocean with no land anywhere in sight and at the head of the boat you could just make out two figures standing next to each other. Lizzie thought the painting was very pretty but hardly worth seventy-five grand!

"The next race starts in twenty minutes if you want to stay and watch that. Or we could walk around. There's a large gift shop downstairs I'm sure you would like it," Red said.

Lizzie gave Dembe a quick glance before giggling.

"We probably shouldn't leave here till we have to. I'm not sure Dembe could handle the stress," Lizzie said with a grin.

Red started laughing as he too looked in Dembe's direction. He was currently staring holes into their table companions.

"Might be best. We can swing by downstairs as we leave. Once the main race is finished people will be leaving. Dembe will relax considerably then," Red said crossing his legs and resting his arm on the back of Lizzie's chair.

For next several minutes Red and Lizzie engaged in small talk. Lizzie happened to glance up at one of the overhead TV screens to see the current picks some of the "experts" were choosing to win the big race.

"Hey that reminds me. Do you not bet on any of these races? I haven't seen you at any of these betting machines today," Lizzie asked as she pointed around the room.

"Oh of course I bet! Betting at the Derby is a must!" Red said. "But I or rather Dembe did mine yesterday afternoon. Can't exactly use my real name now can I?"

"Right," Lizzie said.

"Would you like to make a bet?" Red asked looking at her. "I remember how bored you were when you went to Vegas that weekend of your 21st birthday but you might enjoy this."

Lizzie stared at Red before saying, "I know I should ask how you know that but I won't."

Lizzie thought back to that weekend in Vegas. She remembered being so excited to go to Vegas with four of her girlfriends that weekend. Once she got there though, she realized you had to be a special kind of person to enjoy sitting around for hours at a time. She realized cards made her sleepy and the slot machines were a rip off that took all her money that she could have used to buy clothes with.

"Probably for the best," Red said grinning.

"But yes, I think I will bet," Lizzie said standing up quickly.

Red stood up as did Dembe. Red led her over to the far side of the room and walked up to an empty self service wagering machine.

"What do I do?" Lizzie asked.

"You click "Paying With Cash" and then type in your name," Red said as he touched the screen.

Lizzie typed in her name on the screen and pressed enter.

"Now you can see all the races that will take place. Do you want to bet on all of them or just the main run?" Red asked her.

"The main one," Lizzie replied.

"Click on that one at the bottom," Red said pointing at the screen. "And now it gives you the list of all the horses running in the race. Their names, pictures, owners, jockeys, stats, power rankings, and odds they have to win."

Lizzie looked over the list. Not having any idea which was better or worse she asked, "Who did you pick?"

Red smiled and said, "I placed a bet on all of the top three."

Lizzie looked at the list and saw the top three names. California Chrome, Hoppertunity, and Wicked Strong.

"The experts are picking California Chrome to win it with Wicked Strong coming in second," Red said next to her.

Red stood and watched Lizzie. The look she had on her face amused him. Frowning slightly, teeth biting on her bottom lip, and a look of pure concentration on her face. She was flipping through each picture studying the horses.

I wish I could place a bet on which horse she's going to pick, he thought to himself. She's going to pick Hoppertunity, he was sure of it. He looked behind them to see Dembe looking over Lizzie's shoulder. Dembe met Red's eyes and grinned. He too knew who she would pick.

"So which horse do you like?" Red asked turning back to the woman next to him.

Lizzie continued to stay silent as she looked over her choices again before finally saying, "I think I'm going to go with…..Hoppertunity. Yes. Yes definitely Hoppertunity."

Red started smiling broadly and gave a quick glance to Dembe who was grinning.

"Any particular reason?"

Lizzie grinned and looked up at him. "I like the name. Hoppertunity. It's cute. Plus he's number two on the stats but no one is picking him to win."

Red continued to grin and nodded his head.

"Then you click on his name and then "Place Bet," Red said pointing back to the screen.

Lizzie did as she was told and continued to follow the directions on the screen. She picked her amount to bet and inserted her money. After pressing "Accept Bet," the machine printed out her paper ticket.

"If you win, you will take the ticket to one of the tellers downstairs at the betting house," Red said.

Lizzie nodded and placed the ticket into her purse.

They made their way back to their table just as a loud horn was heard overhead.

"What's that?" Lizzie asked as she saw several people walk to the sliding glass doors.

"That's the horn for the next race. I believe it's time for number eight to start," Red said. "Do you want to watch?"

Lizzie nodded and Red escorted her to the sliding doors and they stepped out onto the balcony. Lizzie leaned over the railing slightly to see several horses were being brought out of the stables.

During the next couple of hours her, Red, and Dembe watched races eight, nine, and ten. Lizzie spent most of the time not so much watching the races but people watching. She was fascinated by the level of excitement those around her displayed. During race nine people started to really pour in. The stands were packed! All you could make out was a sea of color from the hats all the ladies were wearing.

After race ten, they called for a short intermission.

"If you need to visit the ladies room Lizzie now is the time to do it. The big race is up next," Red said to her.

Lizzie nodded as she stepped inside and made her way to the bathrooms.

She hadn't been gone long but when she arrived back into the large room it was practically empty, with everyone squeezing themselves out on to the balcony.

Lizzie managed to slide her way through the people before finally reaching Red and Dembe.

"Thank God you didn't leave. We would never be able to see anything!" Lizzie said coming to stand next to Red.

He nodded and once again wrapped his arm around her. "See over there. The brown horse with the black face bit on?" he said pointing towards the horse stables.

"The one with the blue fuzzy thing on it's nose?" Lizzie asked.

Red glanced at her grinning. "Yes. That's Hoppertunity. That's your horse."

"Oh! He's beautiful!" Lizzie said smiling.

"And see the one in purple? That's California Chrome. And the one in black and white, the dark horse? That's Wicked Strong," Red said as he pointed out the horses.

Lizzie couldn't stop staring at the horses. All beautiful, in great shape, and very well took care of.

Before long the horses and the jockeys slowly made their way out onto the track one by one.

The next few minutes were really a blur to Lizzie. People around her were on their feet with so much screaming and yelling that it was just a blanket of white noise, the smell of horse, dirts and rain that had fallen was all around them.

The horses took their places on the track, the horn sounded, and off they went! Hooves pounding against the track, voices of the announcers came from above, people screaming, and waving their arms.

Lizzie lost sight of her horse several times as they were running so fast they all seemed like one large brown blur. She screamed along with everyone else, grabbing hold of Red's arm tightly as they watched.

As they came around the corner of the track, Lizzie gave up on trying to find her horse and instead watched the black and white finish line Red had pointed out either. Within seconds of moving her eyes to the finish line, the horses crossed over and the horn once again rang out overhead.

"What happened? Did I win?" Lizzie asked Red in a breathless voice.

She turned her head around to find Red staring down at her smiling.

"It's all over. And yes, you won!" Red said.

"OH MY GOD!" Lizzie screamed out as she jumped up and down. Before she could stop herself, Lizzie hurled herself into Red arms.

Red immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled into her hair.

"Congratulations Lizzie!" he said to her.

Lizzie laughed as she pulled back slightly and quickly pressed her lips to Red.

"Thank you! Oh my gosh that was amazing!" Lizzie said breathing heavily as she pulled back from Red's body.

Red, temporarily stunned by Lizzie's actions, laughed out loud and said, "I'll have to take you to more horse races if this is the reaction I get from doing so!"

She remembered Red had told her in the plane that morning that the Kentucky Derby was called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" and Lizzie had to agree with that statement. That was incredible!

"I would like that. This was fantastic!" Lizzie said with a smile as she looked up at him. "I can't believe I won! I never win anything! And you won too! Aren't you happy?"

"Lizzie, I can honestly say, I haven't been this happy in years," Red replied with a grin as he looked down at the woman still in his arms.

Lizzie giggled and asked, "Now what?"

"In just a minute they'll have the post-race parade and bring out the horse to stand in the winner's circle," Red said, turning both his and Lizzie's bodies forward, his arm never leaving her waist.

Sure enough, Lizzie caught sight of a large marching band making their way onto the track followed by the winning horse with his jockey, trainer, and whom she assumed were the owners, along with several other people.

She watched as the horse's name was called out as the winner and the crowd of people applauded. Just as the horse was walked to the winners circle the band started playing.

"What are they playing?" Lizzie asked Red.

"My Old Kentucky Home. It's another tradition," he replied.

Even Lizzie had to admit it was a very moving moment. The horse was draped in a blanket of red roses just as Red had told her.

Lizzie turned to Red and said, "Thank you for bringing me here Red. I've really had a wonderful time."

Red turned his head to lock eyes with her and said, "You're most welcome Lizzie. You know I love spending time with you."

Lizzie smiled in return before she continued to watch the parade down below.

Yes, he was a criminal and yes, she was becoming attached to him just as he wanted, she thought to herself but Lizzie couldn't and wouldn't stop herself. She was grateful that Raymond Reddington forced his way into her life. Since she had met him, he'd allowed her to see and experience so many things she never would have had the chance to had it not been for him.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't make herself regret knowing him.

The End!

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! We have a betting pool going on at my work for the Derby which is how I came up with this story. Most of my coworkers are picking California Chrome to win but I placed my huge bet of $25 on Hoppertunity! I know! High roller I am ;)

For anyone wondering, the Kentucky Derby will air tomorrow afternoon (May 3rd) on NBC if you would like to tune in :)

Please review!

PS: I have also updated my profile with a link to a picture of what Lizzie is wearing in this story :)


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